Why I Enjoy My Job

Michael Long, Vibration Institute Executive Director

Spring 2017 Vibrations 3

Throughout my tenure as an association professional, my favorite part of my career has always been the association’s annual conference.

Why? Because I get to meet you! Very few jobs give someone the opportunity to meet people from around the world as much as I do. Given that this will be my first conference as your Executive Director, I am excited for the June 13–16 conference in Rochester, New York.

I can’t wait to get to know the faces of all the people with whom I have exchanged emails or talked on the phone.

There are so many ways to learn and sharpen your skills these days: you can read articles online, listen to podcasts, watch how-to videos on YouTube, and attend webinars. But conferences remain the best way to grow and share in the camaraderie of your profession.

Connect

Over one-fourth of the VI CAT IV certified vibration analysts in the world will be at the conference. That is a lot of expertise all in one place! Where else will you get the opportunity to talk with the brightest minds in vibration analysis all in one place? Where else can you talk to someone about what you do and be confident they understand? No where!

Explore

Have you been to Rochester before? I hadn’t until a recent short visit, and I am excited to go back for a longer stay. Combine the natural beauty of upstate New York with a city steeped in history and great food, and I am confident everyone will enjoy it.

Learn

I mean, learning is what a conference is about, right? While most of you are well-experienced, I am sure you will learn something new, and the value of a novel solution or a new tool is priceless.

Have Fun

Yes, the conference is about what you do professionally, but I am sure you will have fun sharing a tale or two over a cocktail and dinner!

I get it. From the overall cost to the time away from home and work, a conference must have excellent value to be justified. The 41st Annual Training Conference is a unique convergence of networking, exploring, learning, and fun into a single package that you cannot get anywhere else.

See you in Rochester in June! I’ll be the guy in the bow tie looking forward to meeting you!